Support bra

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a support bra. The device includes an annular panel that receives a torso of a user. The panel includes a pair of cups disposed between an outer layer and an inner layer, wherein the pair of cups receive breasts of the user. The panel includes a pair of straps disposed on an upper end thereof, wherein each strap includes a pair of distal ends that removably secure to each other to form a loop. The straps each include a width that substantially covers a shoulder of the user. A lower portion of the panel includes a reinforcement support that extends around the lower end thereof. The panel further includes a band affixed to a bottom edge that circumscribes the lower end of the panel. The band includes distal ends that removably secure to each other to form a loop around a midsection of the user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/515,710 filed on Jun. 6, 2017. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to bras. More specifically, the present invention provides a support bra for large breasted women. The support bra is specifically designed with reinforced areas and bands to increase support for the breasts, shoulders, and back of a user while the bra is worn.

Many women having larger breasts suffer from back problems due to improper support while wearing a bra. Some women may even opt for breast-reduction surgery due to the weight and pressure of the breasts being pulled forward while wearing a standard underwire or sports bra that lacks support. Furthermore, larger breasted women typically incur indents on the top of their shoulders due to bra straps being too tight while supporting the breasts throughout the day. This can lead to painful nerve damage and permanent indentations within the skin. Therefore, a support bra having a reinforcement band and increased width shoulder straps that provide additional support for larger breasts is needed.

Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to bras. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to bras for supporting a user's breasts. One device is a lingerie item designed to attach over a standard bra in order to provide a seamless look. Another bra includes a wireless elastic support that conforms to inframammary skinfold curves of the breasts. One bra includes multiple horizontal straps that attach at various points around a user, such that the bra can attach firmly and comfortably around a tapered torso of a wearer. Another bra comprises a wrap sports bra that includes seamless cups to support a breast, an elasticized bottom edge of a front panel with a fastening means to secure the bra to a user.

These known art devices have several known drawbacks. Many of these devices fail to include a reinforced band disposed along a lower portion of the bra, such that the reinforced band provides increased support to the bottom and sides of the breasts. Further, many of these bras fail to include wide shoulder straps that provide increased support to the cups of the bra, such that they provide uplift to the breasts. Lastly, these known devices fail to include a lower band that is affixed to the bottom edge of the bra, wherein the band includes a pair of distal ends having fasteners that secure to each other to form a loop around the midsection of a user.

In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing bra devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of bras now present in the known art, the present invention provides a new support bra wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when supporting the user's breasts.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved support bra that has all of the advantages of the known art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a support bra comprising an annular panel that receives a torso of a user. The panel includes a pair of cups disposed between an outer layer and an inner layer, wherein the pair of cups receive breasts of the user. The panel includes a pair of straps disposed on an upper end thereof, wherein each strap includes a pair of distal ends that removably secure to each other to form a loop. The straps each include a width that substantially covers a shoulder of a user. A lower portion of the panel includes a reinforcement support that extends around the lower end thereof. The panel further includes a band affixed to a bottom edge that circumscribes a midsection of the user. The band is adjustable and includes distal ends that removably secure to each other to form a loop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a support bra wherein the fasteners of the pair of straps and the band are hook and eyelet closures.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a support bra wherein the inner layer of the panel comprises an absorbent material and the outer layer of the panel comprises an elastic material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a support bra that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of an embodiment of the support bra.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of an embodiment of the support bra.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective front view of an embodiment of the support bra secured to a user.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective rear view of an embodiment of the support bra secured to a user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the support bra. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for supporting the breasts of a large breasted user. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a perspective front view of an embodiment of the support bra and a perspective rear view of an embodiment of the support bra, respectively. The support bra 11 includes a panel 12 that comprises an annular shape that is configured to receive a torso of a user. The panel 12 further includes a pair of straps 16 disposed on opposing sides of the panel 12, wherein each strap 16 includes a pair of distal ends 17 extending upwardly from the upper end of the panel 12. Each distal end 17 includes a fastener 18 that secures each end to the other, such that each strap 16 is configured to form a loop around a shoulder of the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 18 on each of the pair of straps 16 comprises a plurality of hook and eyelet closures that are distributed in evenly spaced rows. This allows the length of each strap 16 to be adjusted for fit and comfort. However, any suitable fastener may be used.

In the illustrated embodiment, each strap 16 is disposed at an angle, such that a front neck line 33 and a rear neck line 34 form a V shape. This configuration allows the straps 16 to be positioned comfortably on the shoulders of the user while still providing support to the breasts. Each strap of the pair of straps 16 comprises a width W1 configured to substantially cover a shoulder. In this way, the width W1 of the straps 16 offers increased support to lift and support the breast when the support bra 11 is worn by a user. The shoulder straps 16 of the support bra 11 are wider than typical shoulder straps of standard bras to prevent indentation of the skin, which is a common occurrence when wearing a standard bra.

In the illustrated embodiment, the panel 12 comprises an outer layer 13 and an inner layer 14 that extends the entirety of the panel 12, including the pair of straps 16. A pair of cups 15 are disposed between the outer layer 13 and inner layer 14 at an anterior portion of the panel 12. The pair of cups 15 are adapted to receive a pair of breasts of a user. In an alternative embodiment, the inner layer 14 may include one or more apertures configured to removably receive each of the pair of cups 15. In this way, the cups of the bra may be removed in order to wash or replace a soiled or warn cup. The inner layer 14 is constructed of an absorbent material, such as, nylon, while the outer layer 13 comprises an elastic material, such as, stretch fabric. In this way, the absorbent material is configured to absorb sweat, while the elastic material is configured to fit flush around the user, while providing support.

The support bra 11 further includes a reinforcement support 21 disposed at a lower portion 22 of panel, such that the lower portion 22 extends from a bottom edge of each cup 15 to at least one quarter of the way up a front surface 23 of each cup 15. The reinforcement support 21 further extends laterally from each cup 15 around the length of the lower portion 22 of the panel 12, such that it rests flush around the sides and back of the user when worn. It is contemplated that the width of the lower portion 22 wherein the reinforcement support 21 is disposed may be sized to accommodate different breasts and bra sizes. The reinforcement support 21 is constructed of durable material, such as, neoprene. The durable material is configured to provide support to the lower area of the breasts, such as the inframammary fold, while also being comfortable to wear. In this way, the reinforcement support 21 provides uplift to the breasts of a user, thereby preventing sagging.

The support bra 11 further includes a band 25 affixed to the bottom edge 24 of the panel 12, wherein the band 25 is configured to circumscribe the midsection of a user. In the illustrated embodiment, the band 25 includes a pair of distal ends 26 each having a fastener 27 configured to secure the distal ends 26 to one another to form a loop. In the illustrated embodiment, the fasteners 27 are hook and eyelet closures distributed in evenly spaced rows. However, in alternative embodiments, the fastener may be any suitable fastener. The band 25 is constructed of an elastic material, such as, spandex or nylon. In this way, the band rests flush with the user's body to provide additional support to the lower back.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a perspective front view of an embodiment of the support bra secured to a user and a perspective rear view of an embodiment of the support bra secured to a user, respectively. The support bra 11 is designed to fit snuggly against the torso 30 of the user 28. Each of the pair of straps 16 includes a width that covers a substantial portion of the shoulder 29 of the user 30. While in use, the width of the shoulder strap 16 prevents indentations from occurring on the shoulder 29 due to the weight of each breasts 32. Further each cup 15 of the support bra 11 is supported by the reinforcement band 21 spanning the lower portion of the bra. When worn, both the cups 15 and the reinforcement band 21 provide increased support to the breasts 32. Further, the band 25 extending from the lower edge of the panel adds additional surrounds the midsection 31 to provide support to the back and further secures the support bra 11 to the user.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support bra 11 includes fasteners 18, 27 that are hook and eyelet closures. The fasteners 18, 27 are disposed in evenly spaced rows on both the band 25 and each of the pair of shoulder straps 16. The positioning of the fasteners 18, 27 in evenly spaced rows allow the user to adjust the support bra 11, such that the bra fits the user comfortably while offering increased support to the breasts, shoulders, and back.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A support bra, comprising: a panel having an outer layer and an inner layer, wherein the panel comprises an annular shape configured to removably secure around a torso of a user; a pair of cups disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer of the panel, wherein the pair of cups are adapted to receive breasts of the user; a pair of straps disposed on an upper end of the panel, wherein each strap includes a pair of distal ends extending upwardly from the upper end, wherein each distal end includes a fastener that removable secures each distal end to the other, such that each strap is configured to form a loop around a shoulder of a user; wherein each strap of the pair of straps comprises a width configured to substantially cover the shoulder of the user; a reinforcement support disposed around a lower portion of panel, such that the lower portion extends from a bottom edge of the pair of cups to at least one quarter of the way up a front surface of the pair of cups, wherein the lower portion further extends laterally around the length of the panel; and a band affixed to the bottom edge of the panel, wherein the band is configured to circumscribe a midsection of the user. 2) The support bra of claim 1, wherein the fastener of the pair of straps is a plurality of hook and eyelet closures disposed in evenly spaced rows. 3) The support bra of claim 1, wherein the band includes a pair of distal ends each having a fastener thereon, such that the pair of distal ends secure to each other to form a loop. 4) The support bra of claim 3, wherein the fastener on each of the pair of distal ends of the band is a plurality of hook and eyelet closures disposed in evenly spaced rows. 5) The support bra of claim 1, wherein the band is composed of an elastic material. 6) The support bra of claim 1, wherein the inner layer of the panel comprises an absorbent material. 7) The support bra of claim 1, wherein the outer layer of the panel comprises an elastic material. 